In a unified ONTAP cluster, SAN provisioning is handled by creating FlexVol volumes with the ‘san’ application type (or similar optimization). LUNs are then created as objects within these volumes and mapped to initiators via igroups. This leverages the unified storage model while presenting a traditional SAN interface (SCSI LUNs) to the hosts, meeting the requirement for familiarity.

ONTAP uses a space-efficient copy-on-write mechanism for Snapshot copies. If other objects (like FlexClone volumes) have a dependency on a Snapshot copy, the data blocks cannot be freed, even if the original volume is deleted and the autodelete policy is active. The administrator must identify and handle any existing clones before the space can be reclaimed.

MetroCluster Stretch is the topology designed for two data centers with dark fiber. In this configuration, nodes from a single HA pair are physically located in different sites, and they synchronously mirror data to each other over the fabric (FC or IP). It provides automatic, non-disruptive failover if one entire site is lost, which aligns with the stated requirements.

While performance is a factor, the primary driver for disabling SMB1 is security. It is an outdated protocol with well-documented critical vulnerabilities (e.g., EternalBlue). Furthermore, it lacks modern SMB features such as durable handles, which are essential for server applications and provide resilience during network interruptions. ONTAP allows administrators to disable it per SVM to enforce the use of more secure protocols.

The performance capacity rating in ONTAP tools like Active IQ and System Manager provides a health indicator. ‘Latency Impacted’ specifically means that the volume’s observed workload is experiencing increased latency because the underlying resources (like aggregates, nodes, or network ports) are busy. It points to resource contention rather than a configured limit (QoS) or a fullness threshold.

A Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) is a secure, multi-tenant logical storage container. It provides isolated management context, including its own name servers, authentication sources (like LDAP), network interfaces (LIFs), security styles (NTFS, UNIX), and data volumes. The cluster administrator manages the physical nodes and aggregates, while SVM administrators can be delegated full control within their own SVM.

After the initial baseline transfer, SnapMirror Async uses NetApp’s block-level incremental-forever technology. Each update only transfers the unique blocks that have changed on the source volume since the common Snapshot copy that is shared with the destination. The schedule and bandwidth affect how often and how quickly transfers happen, but the volume of data per transfer is determined solely by the rate of change on the source.

FlexClone technology creates a writable, point-in-time copy of a FlexVol volume or LUN. It is space-efficient because it uses the parent volume’s Snapshot copies for shared data blocks; only new or changed blocks in the clone consume additional space. This allows for rapid provisioning of large volumes for testing or development without duplicating the entire dataset.

The ONTAP Select Deploy utility is a separate management appliance used specifically for the lifecycle management of the ONTAP Select software-defined storage solution. Its primary functions include discovering hardware, deploying the ONTAP Select VMs onto hypervisors, adding nodes to a cluster, and performing non-disruptive upgrades. It is not used for day-to-day storage provisioning within ONTAP itself.

In a unified ONTAP cluster, SAN provisioning is handled by creating FlexVol volumes with the ‘san’ application type (or similar optimization). LUNs are then created as objects within these volumes and mapped to initiators via igroups. This leverages the unified storage model while presenting a traditional SAN interface (SCSI LUNs) to the hosts, meeting the requirement for familiarity.0